Rabu, 27 April 2011

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Sony Admits Massive PlayStation Network User Credit Card Details Theft; Gamers Furious

Posted: 27 Apr 2011 02:58 AM PDT

In a shocking apology letter to all PSN subscribers and in their blog post, Sony has admitted that a hacker may have stolen personal data (along with their birthdates, e-mail addresses, physical addresses, user names, passwords) and credit card information of 77 million PlayStation network accounts!

Though it is by no means uncommon for user data to be stolen by hackers, this is one of the largest and most high profile online data thefts to come to light. Playstation owners are upset and angry over this escapade ever since PS3 network went down last week!

PSN Accounts Hacked: How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

Termed as one of the biggest internet security breaches, a hacker reportedly broke into Sony’s PlayStation video game online network and may have obtained access to personal data of about 77 million users, including credit card information, addresses, user names and passwords.

“We have discovered that between April 17 and April 19, 2011, certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network,” Sony said in a blog post Tuesday.

In response, the company said it has now turned off both of the services — which weren’t working anyway — and hired a well-known security firm to conduct “a full and complete investigation” into what happened.

Nevertheless, Sony is likely to face questions about when it knew that customer data had been stolen and why it waited so long before issuing a statement.

“They have almost let people believe that it was a harmless problem, when in actual fact they just weren’t telling us that someone might have our information,” a PS3 gamer stated.

“While there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility,” Sony said. “If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained.“

Now, while a credit card number is not required to set up a PSN account, the information listed above could be used to access bank accounts, so even if you didn't attach a credit card number to your account, you're still not entirely free and clear. For now though, just let's just say your credit card info (minus the security code, per Sony's statement) and personal data have been compromised.

The company also advised users to change their PlayStation Network passwords as soon as the service is restored. Sony expects to restore services “within a week,” their blog post says.

Sony now advises users to “remain vigilant” and be on the lookout for e-mail, telephone and postal scams. Hackers will sometimes use personal data they have stolen to target users with phishing attacks or try to trick them into handing over further data. If you have attached your credit card to your PSN account and if  are concerned that your account has been compromised then read our guide on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

Top 5 Best Features of Motorola Atrix 4G Dual Core Android Phone

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:05 PM PDT

Having come first in tech god T3 Magazine's Top 100 gadgets of 2011, the Motorola Atrix 4G (dual core) phone must be doing something more than the average smartphone out there. Amazingly the new Motorola is as powerful as its big brother the Xoom tablet, while still remaining lighter than the iPhone 4. It also has a PC like operating system for use as a serious netbook.

Top 5 Hottest Features of Motorola Atrix 4G

1) The Atrix has a finger scanner; yes, you use your finger print to unlock the Atrix's screen – very Blade Runner. The little sensor at the back of the phone just needs a brief examination of your finger tip to recognize its owner and unlock the bounty of goodies it's 1GHz dual core 2.2 Android engine offers.

2) One of the wonderful things about the new Atrix is its compatibility with Motorola's new docking accessories. Motorola offers a multimedia dock and a Lapdock with the Atrix. The multimedia dock offers the option to connect the phone in its bay, for charging and linking to a keyboard, mouse and remote. The dock has three USB and one mini HDMI port for connection to the aforementioned and to a larger screen to use the phone as a full size computer.

The Lapdock offers a similar option but in a self- contained unit of screen, mouse and keyboard. This novel concept allows the Atrix to compete with laptops for basic tasks, as well as play videos and give the user the full benefits of a laptop or computer.

3) Number two leads onto the next use for the Atrix. When linked to the docks the little Motorola Atrix 4G can be used to play games and use applications on a big screen. So a full, high resolution version of Angry Birds can be yours, along with big screen versions of all the other thousands of available Android applications.

4) The screen can not only be utilized for app usage, but also with the excellent 720p HD video recording the phone offers sky is the limit for you. The 720p HD recordings can be played back on the large screen with the help of the docking bays – a far cry from the grainy footage we used to consider state of the art on phones.

5) Finally and thoroughly impressively, the Atrix allows you to link the machine to the larger screen and take advantage of a dual mobile and WebTop view. This allows users to call from the Lapdock and offers a clearer interface ala Skype.

The Motorola Atrix is an exciting concept and as you can see from above has plenty of wizardry to make it a real contender in the Android phone/ netbook market.

Author Bio: This is a guest article written by Cormac Reynolds who is a journalist and guest blogger from Best Mobile Contracts, a UK-based mobile phone comparison site and writes as a guest author for TechChunks.com.

How And Why To Keep Your Windows Computer Up to Date?

Posted: 26 Apr 2011 10:23 PM PDT

If you have been wondering how to keep your Computer patched and up to date then you have arrived at the right article. There may be a thousand security tools to help protect your computer, but one mantra that keeps coming up is to “keep your PC patched and updated“.

If you want to extract the most out of your system and stay secure while having it running like it did on the very first day, then you should try to keep it pretty much in the same state. I don't want to say you are forbidden to install new programs and play around, just keep it clean and virus-free if you want to speed up your PC. Before you ask me "how to", I'll stop you – wait a while and just let me share my experience with you!

Another aspect of the problem is to keep your Windows PC up-to-date with everything — starting with browsers, drivers and the operating system itself. As long as you are performing the maintenance regularly you will never be too much behind, so the operation can't transform into a nuisance.

First of all you should try to have your Windows running smoothly, and the easiest way to achieve that is to install not all the updates it recommends. Some of them are automatic, some will require your consensus, but as long as you have a genuine copy you shouldn't worry too much about them.

In fact, you don't have to do anything more than allow Windows download the required updates from time to time and the benefits are multiple. They range from faster speed in running various applications and processes to increased safety against harmful malware.

How to Keep Your Windows Operating System Up to Date and Patched

If you think you are behind with the updates, got to the All programs in the start menu and select Windows Update and you will be guided to the Help and Support Center where you can ‘get Microsoft Update‘. Decide between custom and express, with the first being the recommended option and install all updates.

Once this is dealt with, you should make sure that the internet browser you are using is the latest in its family. Usually you are being prompted when an update is available and downloading it is the right thing to do. You will benefit from new features and enhanced security and speed up computer!

Have a tip, trick, or must-have application for updating your Windows computer or keeping it secure? Let’s hear about it in the comments.

Author Bio: This is a guest article written by Dedee Heather, who likes writing about PC Security and Optimization tips and writes as a guest author for TechChunks.com.

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